Recipe for miso soup

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This is a traditional Japanese soup in which taste and flavor depend on the miso paste. The two conventional types are white (the soy beans are matured for only a few months, lending a caramel brown color that is lower in salt and slightly sweet) and red (matured for more than one year, deepening the color to red-brown with a high salt content). Miso varieties also include rice, barley, and bean. Another key ingredient is dashi, a bonito fish stock. Make dashi from an instant mix such as Hondashi or from scratch, as instructed here. Homemade has more depth and subtlety.

2 tablespoons dried wakame seaweed, soaked in water for 5 minutes, and drained

2 scallions, finely chopped

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, heat the dashi. When it boils, lower the heat.

2. In a bowl, combine the miso and 1/2 ladle of hot dashi. Set aside until it dissolves, stirring often.

3. Add the tofu, seaweed, and miso mixture to the dashi. Stir gently and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat. Add the scallions and taste for seasoning. If the soup is too salty, add more dashi or water. If the soup is too mild, add a little miso paste.